In this last section, after briefly touching on the virtues of style and delivery, Crassus returns to the character of the orator and the scope of education needed in order to make one a good orator. In fact, he even goes so far as to say that a beautiful style of writing won’t get one very far—it will only help the orator to avoid ridicule (p. 206); one’s entire life and education contribute to her success as an orator (p. 207). Throughout this last dialogue, Crassus continually promises to discuss the techniques of beautiful stylistic composition, but he also continually digresses into topics like the philosophical schools (pp. 210-214), or the vast knowledge requisite to a good orator (pp. 227-8). Is Crassus denigrating the study of stylistic ornament here? Is he placing that study within a larger conception of what makes a good orator?